Finally…the end of pre-season (W’s 117, Raptors 112)

I confess that I’m not a fan of the NBA’s decision to extend the pre-season this year. Or at least to extend it in the W’s case. Eight pre-season games are simply too many for any one team to have to play.

So imagine my shock when I compared last year’s schedule with this year’s—only to discover that the W’s actually began both seasons on the exact same date: October 25.

In last year’s season opener, an unfocused W’s team was crushed by a (typically) fully prepared Spurs team 129-100. This year, however, an energetic W’s team—though obviously still not tying down every loose end—nonetheless still played with enough pluck and vigor (including playing a truly perfect final 1.30 of the game) to steal back the possibility of a road upset by a game and feisty and re-styled Toronto team.

The W’s currently lead the western conference with a 1-0 record. But, more importantly, they’ve woken up a full game sooner than they did last year. And that’s the important thing.

(As you can see, I see last night’s game just a tad differently than most others will.)

But on one point we’ll probably all agree: last night’s game was both really fun…and really instructive.

But as usual I’ll avoid the obvious.

Yes, of course, the W’s need to box-out better. But two things complicate that question beyond the simple (and still necessary) injunction: ‘Yes, dammit, get a body on a guy.’

Firstly, whenever your defense is scrambling in rotations because of dribble penetration, it’s not so easy to identify and get to your new box-out as quickly as you need to.

And, secondly (and relatedly), if your opponent’s “small lineup” has a particularly alert and nastily singleminded offensive rebounder in it, your own small lineup is likely to have problems with him. (And, again, especially so if your overall defense is scrambling in rotations because of dribble penetration.)

And, besides, for the W’s this is no new issue.

One of the W’s few occasionally recurring weaknesses in the Kerr-era is that they sometimes get hurt too much on the offensive glass—and thereby (especially coupled with too many turnovers) can lose the important “possessions-game.” (As they did last night when Toronto had 17 more scoring attempts.)

It’s a brave new world these days in the NBA.

As W’s fans, we focus on what this remarkable team can and should (and will) do better.

But at the same time the NBA playing-landscape is actively transforming right before our eyes. Once Draymond Green was an anomaly at the position formerly called “power forward.” And the W’s own small lineup was so revolutionary in how versatile it was—especially defensively in its ability to switch at virtually every position—that it was a “death” lineup. But now many more teams than not play exactly that way themselves. And it’s not necessarily a given that on any particular night the W’s will turn out lineups that are automatically quicker at more positions than their opponent’s lineups are.

As Jim Barnett said last night midway through the 3rd quarter…

“This is a very frenetic pace right now. They (the W’s) have been a little startled defensively, and Toronto has them off-balance.”

This is news—that there are teams (many teams) who want to spread the floor and attack big guys with space and tempo every bit as much and sometimes even more than the W’s do. (And that includes attacking the W’s own big men.)

Ball movement and then dribble-attack.

This is the heart of Toronto’s new offensive approach and mindset. (And it’s at the heart of what many other teams are doing as well.)

Once you were afraid that your traditional center might not be able to fire out quickly enough to contest a great 3-pt shooter coming off a high-screen (see Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum—or Steph, always). But now (to contravene traps and other defensive screen-and-roll adjustments), as soon as a team sees your center isolated on a slashing small, they instantly spread the floor, wait a beat, and then attack that center off the dribble.

In fact, what’s more accurately descriptive is that teams actively hunt your center for that mismatch.

It wasn’t Zaza’s fault. (Nor would it have been JaVale’s had not Kerr, for that very reason, acknowledged that since he wasn’t going to be playing JaVale in a game like this anyway that it was a particularly good night to reward Kevon Looney by at least nominally activating him instead.)

I wish someone could chart Toronto’s offensive efficiency in the first and third quarters when they moved the ball quickly and then—once the W’s defense was rotating and Zaza was forced onto a small—that small then attacked Zaza off the dribble and even if he didn’t score (or draw a foul) himself he was then able to pitch to an open teammate as soon as the W’s had to rotate to give help.

This is the new NBA—which the W’s themselves (in refining their own style beyond the Spurs’) have done by far the most to inaugurate.

Spread the floor. Force tempo. Hunt bigs and attack them. And then space the floor around that penetration with capable 3-pt shooters (who are versatile defenders, too).

The W’s emerging (?) rotation.

Kerr is a master at keeping each player on the W’s roster as involved as possible.

And he said post-game what he believes: that the W’s are still so far from executing fundamentals well enough that it would be pre-mature for him to draw conclusions on a set playing rotation right now.

Still…

There were “tells” last night—and I only half-believe what he said above.

— In the middle term, I expect the W’s center rotation—more nights than not—to look like last night’s: Zaza / Bell / West. (And then for all three of them to step aside at the end of a close game.) Kerr won’t forsake JaVale, nor should he. And it isn’t JaVale’s fault—nor any other “traditional” center’s fault—that that position’s stock dropped so dramatically this off-season. That’s simply the result of what I said above about the changing NBA style of play overall.

— Kerr’s rotation was so much tighter and more sober last night. With the exception of rookie Bell, the W’s rotation only included those players most schooled in (and committed to) W’s defensive principles and teamwork. Kerr won’t forsake Nick Young either. But whereas Young was given auditioning minutes in the W’s previous eight pre-season games, now in his next appearance(s), he might need to prove—and especially to prove defensively—that he’s worth his keep. If so, this would constitute real progress. There’s nothing more corrosive to a team’s overall defensive cohesion than the suspicion that there’s a freeloader on board who’s not being held to the same accountability for defensive effort and focus that everyone else is.

— Essentially, hockey-like, Kerr played three “lines” last night. (1) Starters; then (2) youngsters McCaw and Bell feathered in with Steph, Draymond, and Durant/Iguodala; and then (3) that august veteran lineup of Klay, Livingston, Iguodala, Durant, and West.

McCaw, freed from any obligation to play-make or create, played by far his best game of the year—moving purposefully without the ball and being rock-solid in that unit’s team defense. Kerr says he wished he’d played him more. And Bell profited by playing alongside his defensive mentor, Draymond.

And that veteran unit with Klay and Durant?

If not quite a re-enactment of the “death lineup” that took the league by storm and shook it to its foundations—such that other teams are now continually seeking out their own iterations—nonetheless it’s a lineup that should (and will) instill new well-grounded fears in opponents.

For one thing, in a league that’s now in rote small-on-small defensive switching mode, the W’s, paradoxically, now have two of the most withering “smallball” post-up players in the league.

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.

Mouse-in-the-house again. And guys like Kyle Lowry don’t really want any part of either of them:)

So damn glad the pre-season’s finally over.

Now we can get back down to business. (Like Kerr’s doing.)

The W’s are still (of course) the most talented team in the league. And they still appreciate one another and appreciate playing together the most.

But now they’re not the only team in the league capable of dictating the terms of engagement.

Chris L

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I hate people writing off young guys early, talking as if it’s obvious they’ll never be any good. I sure wasn’t confident about Looney’s future myself, but he looks like a different player out there this year – both physically and results-wise.

adamsbiggestfan

They added Mo. I can claim that made all the difference if I want to. 🙂

craig.w

Absolutely. But those guys are veterans. I loved their games tonight, too.

But Looney – the youngest player on the team – was being called a major bust and I loved seeing him torpedo people’s expectations. He’s a nice kid and has had so much bad luck and he was the one on the floor at crunch time. Did my heart good.

Joe Nava

Mo “the tallest guard in the league” Speights? :p

Joe Nava

Yeah, for sure. I’m with you on that–100%. I hope the Warriors give him another shot. And if they don’t, I hope someone else will.

Joe Nava

Yeah. Casspi looked great. Not good, great.

SJ Jim

“I heard more from him in the post game interview here in the D.C. area that substantiates my claim.”

And you couldn’t have elaborated? Whatever. Maybe we’ll learn more later.

Bill P

This is the correct answer.

Thurston Hunger

It’s been a recurring theme these October games.

Bill P

Only from the video of the altercation and while Beal left the court, and then especially the audio of Beal after the game, I see what you saw about this stupid but not entirely unpredictable move by Bradley Beal, right through the “apology” for his actions. Truth is, they had the Dubs where they wanted them and he tossed that away.

Zume

Viggy’s post is up, in record time. He is FASTbreaking it. Everyone get back on d. peace from AZ

Zume

I agree. Also a pet peeve of mine. They are so confident and this is what makes it happen.

Thurston Hunger

Didn’t see it below, maybe JB or Fitz mentioned on the telecast.

But to me the W’s had a foul to give and the Wizards had NO MORE TO’s on that last possession. (Part of the rule change, 2 TO’s in the last 3 minutes as opposed to 3 in the last 2 minutes).

So foul the guys on the action with the pick well above the arc. Especially as the new rule won’t allow for crazy continuation flings when the gathering has not moved to an actual shooting position. (I.E. the earlier disallowed continuation in the game).

Up three with 9 seconds left. I would have used that foul and then likely fouled again on the inbounds for whoever caught it.

Weird game, they showed the Al Attles fight enough times to presage whatever the hell happened with Beal and Dray. And whatever else happened. Heard on the radio something about Oubre getting into the mix. It sure seemed to go from bad to worse (and killed an excellent W’s fast break by the way).

Did someone already insert the Oubre running body slam into Olynk from last year?

Also Draymond pretty much deserved that first T. Felt like 10 seconds of talking to the ref. Why? Nothing’s coming from that, I don’t care if he was polite and speaking in Esperanto. The ref even gave off body language to indicate I’m going to give you a T well before he did. I hope for the next game, I’m lucky enough to have Draymond not in the locker room in the 4th quarter.

Zume

correction – Kevon not Kevan

Thurston Hunger

At least he’s no longer KevOff….for at least one night.

Joe Nava

The esperanto reference made this next level.

Zume

I especially loved that Curry and Klay were so joyful after Kevon dunked it late in the game. They ran to him and yelled in his face. They really want him to succeed and they know the stakes are high for him.

LeBron’s place as the league’s best player should remain unquestioned until he can’t reach peak levels in May and June.

Is Lowe making some sort of Socratic statement of truth or an actual prediction here? I mean, yeah, eventually LeBron will age out and not be as good – not playing as well in May and June. Or not making the playoffs at all. Or is he stating THIS May and June? Inquiring minds want to know!

Zume

exactly right Joe.

Zume

good one duuuude.

Bill P

I wrote before the season began that I suspect Casspi will be the player added this summer who is the most flawlessly fitting into the Dubs system. He may not get millions of minutes, but when he is on the court, he will know his role and do it to his utmost, and always be trying to add to the play. Vet talent still at his peak for bargain money keeping the second unit strong and clicking. Kerr has to find time for a lot of good and young players, but Casspi is just reliable.

Bay Area Warrior Fan

Swaggy P is positionless… like Mo Buckets.

He just shoots, and guards no position on defence. At least Mo took charges. Lol

Bay Area Warrior Fan

Just so happy for Looney. He’s been in injury purgatory for like 2-3 years?

Nice that Kerr trusts him enuf, and he came in and did his thing and changed the momentum of the game. #strength in numbers!

If anything, some silver lining in the Dray ejection… besides the win of course

NCDub

phan
Agree. Not a problem. Not to worry.

Phan Boi

agreed it’s early, not too ear;ly to start good habits….

Phan Boi

mine was like Klay’s, only I couldn’t defend or shoot

Phan Boi

diff than Roz but I’m warming up to her.

Bay Area Warrior Fan

Thanks Viggy for this Toronto piece. Good stuff!

adamsbiggestfan

“Everyone has lost their cool like that in the moment…” You don’t like my understanding that as “it’s normal to lose your cool like that in the moment…”?